The Fraternal Community of Eastern Illinois
The Fraternal Community of Eastern Illinois University Introduction: The Eastern Illinois University fraternal community, like others around the nation, is an organization built by male students with the purpose of creating brotherhood through shared experience. The community itself is comprised of several fraternities with a shared documentation of rules and requirements that each must meet. These fraternities teach principles that give students the foundation to be productive during and after college; while enriching the community. The fraternal community organizes friendly competitions and philanthropic events throughout the year to instill the values they believe are important for young men to follow. Although each fraternity is judged individually, together they share common goals of creating friendships and serving the community around them. History: The first fraternal organization to charter on the Eastern Illinois Campus was Sigma Pi, in 1949. For many years they were the lone fraternity on campus, until the 1970’s when charter fraternities began to increase. This increase can be attributed to the rise in popularity of fraternities throughout the 1980’s as well as the decrease in membership costs. Charter fraternities continue to organize on campus, the latest being Delta Chi, in 2008. In the late 1990’s, EIU funded the creation of Greek Life dormitories, or chapter homes, for fraternities to house their members. These homes are located on campus and are comparable to the dormitories for unaffiliated students. New members are allowed to move into these dormitories the semester after they join a fraternity. As well as housing, these facilities give members an area for meetings and conducting fraternal rituals. Most fraternities are housed in these new dormitories; however, Sigma Pi and Alpha Tau Omega still house their members in off campus facilities. Purpose: Like most student organizations, fraternities give students the opportunity to meet and socialize with others who share similar interests and goals. Fraternities are traditionally only open to male membership, this gives young men the opportunity to create bonds that many college students have difficulty finding, given their unfamiliarity with other new students. Along with the social aspect, the fraternities on the EIU campus are also involved in campus life. They have programs to educate students, support EIU athletics, and have functions for different campus programs. Along with supporting the EIU campus, the fraternities are also involved in philanthropies; both individually and as a whole. Composition: The fraternities on the EIU are governed by the student run Interfraternity Council, or IFC. The IFC is made up of a panel of fraternity members from across the EIU campus. This council is also under the supervision of the Greek Life office, which is a university run organization that sets the standards for all Greek Life on campus. The Greek Life office is controlled by the Director of Fraternity and Sorority Programs; traditionally a member of the EIU faculty. The purpose of IFC is to ensure all fraternities are meeting the standards set by the university. The following are the fraternities on the EIU campus that are under Greek Life and IFC regulation: Along with the guidance of the IFC, each fraternity must have an advisor. This position is traditionally held by a member of the faculty or alumni of the fraternity, but a responsible adult from the community can advise if they meet the criteria set by the Greek Life office. Activities and Events: The first event of the year is Rush Week and it is held the third week of classes. Each fraternity holds open houses welcoming incoming students to visit and decide which fraternity they feel most comfortable with. The selection process, however, must be mutual because each fraternity decides which students they will offer a bid to. A bid is an invitation to join a fraternity and in order to accept a bid the student must turn it in to the Greek Life office signifying which fraternity they intend to rush. The fraternities on the EIU campus are involved in a wide range of activities; most important of which is philanthropy. Each fraternity has an individual philanthropy they support throughout the year. In the spring, the fraternal community joins together to raise money for St. Judes Children Hospital. Other philanthropic activities include phonebook distribution, Meals on Wheels, and The Special Olympics of Coles County. The involvement in philanthropy is important in teaching the students values while benefiting the community around them. In the fall, the fraternities compete for a Homecoming award. Events include float building, philanthropy donations, and points for participation in a number of pre-Homecoming activities. Most fraternities go on to enter their floats in the EIU Homecoming parade. Finally, an award is given to the fraternity with the most overall points. The largest competition between EIU fraternities is Greek Week. This competition is held during the spring semester; however, points are awarded throughout the year for achievements in academics and intramural sports. The week includes competitions between fraternities, culminating in an awards banquet at which each fraternity is honored for their achievements throughout the year. These competitions include trivia contests, canned food drives, and tug-of-war competitions. The most important awards are given for intramural sports, philanthropy, academics, and Greek Week overall winner. Achievements: The two most important achievements a fraternity can have, excluding philanthropy, are having the highest grade point average among EIU fraternities and winning the Greek Week overall award. Below are the grade point averages of EIU fraternities in the past 5 years: The past five Greek Week awards were won by Sigma Pi (2005) Sigma Phi Epsilon (2006, 2007, 2009), and Sigma Nu (2008).